Watching the rest of the group take her leave, Shion would then turn her attention back to the asshole. “[color=deepskyblue]We’re all ears,[/color]” She stated coldly.

Venat’s eyes scanned all of them. As per the usual, Aloa was neutral in every sense of the word, while Jaakuna and Shion had leaned more towards the anger axis, though it was obvious to him that Shion was far right. [color=36454f]“How rude, Blue Rose. You don’t even want to enlighten them as to why it’s [i]you[/i] three that should hear this?”[/color]

“[color=plum]The truth of Rio Corona is not one she is willing to share lightly,[/color]” Aloa mused. As Shion looked at her, surprised, Aloa pointed to her ears. “[color=plum]They’re not just for decoration.[/color]”

Shion scowled, crossing her arms. “[color=deepskyblue]You’d call me rude...and yet you dare speak his name.[/color]” She muttered, closing her eyes.

[color=36454f]“It’s not as if the reveal would be a shocker to anyone here. You two and myself know how he oh-so-tragically died by her hands. And why? Because he wanted to see who was stronger.” [/color]Venat was enjoying this too much. [color=36454f]“I guess we know who proved their strength that day. And what a shame since it had to happen just moments after they were got engaged.”[/color]

Shion turned away from the three of them, completely quiet. Aloa sighed, deciding to try to steer the conversation back on track. “[color=plum]I understand it amuses you, but I would very much like to get on with it if you will.[/color]”

He offered her a nod. [color=36454f]“Very well, but Blue Rose, allow me a question: did you ever go back to the scene of Rio’s death?”[/color] He asked her. [color=36454f]“No, I’m not meaning that grave you made for him similarly to the one you made for innocent Avira - I mean the same spot that he took his last breath before passing into the afterlife.”[/color]

“[color=deepskyblue]It may be difficult for someone like you to understand, but I’ve avoided that area of the Paramina Rift for hundreds of years,[/color]” She started quietly but bitterly.

[color=36454f]“A pity.”[/color]

[color=ed1c24]“Care to elaborate?”[/color] Jaakuna answered for Shion to spare her the wasted energy.

He let out a sigh, his full attention on Shion who seemed to be one push from attacking him. [color=36454f]“I imagine, had you gone back to that site at any point in time you would sense that your dearly beloved, the Fallen Knight Rio Corona is very much alive.”[/color]

Shion stared at Venat. “[color=deepskyblue]He died over two hundred years ago,[/color]” She said. “[color=deepskyblue]It isn’t possible.[/color]”

[color=36454f]“Are you sure he was dead?”[/color]

“[color=deepskyblue]I murdered him.[/color]” She said plainly.

Aloa let out a hum. “[color=plum]Interesting...and that is truly something to ponder,[/color]” She couldn’t help but say.

[color=36454f]“And yet, I’m sure if you focused, you’d sense him.”[/color]

“[color=deepskyblue]Stop toying with me,[/color]” She seemed to have lost her patience. “[color=deepskyblue]What could any of this have to do with anything? If there’s a point to be made, then get to it.[/color]”

[color=36454f]“I wasn’t speaking to you, Blue Rose,”[/color] Venat stated, “I was directing that at Aloa.” He specified clearly. [color=36454f]“I’m sure you felt it, did you not?”[/color]

Scratching the back of her head, Aloa averted her gaze for a moment. “[color=plum]It certainly would explain how it was able to get to the Dynast-King’s place of rest with little issue, though I couldn’t imagine it to be the case,[/color]” She would admit, though she looked at Shion. “[color=plum]When we collided, there was the faintest sign of life deep within.[/color]”

Shion froze.

Venat had kept his eyes on Shion. [color=36454f]“You may not want to believe it, Blue Rose, but it is the truth. The Creature [i]is[/i] your beloved, Rio Corona.”[/color]

Whilst Aloa had confirmed what Venat had been saying, Jaakuna also looked to her, but he did so for a different reason than Venat did. He was genuinely worried about her, so much so that he had approached her, a hand on her shoulder, though a scathing gaze was shot to Venat, eyes burning gold. He had an entire mind that had decided to take him out in honor of Shion, but he knew he couldn’t. [color=ed1c24]“So what then? How’d this happen?”[/color] Jaakuna asked Venat.

[color=36454f]“By all rights, Rio died, this is true, but my influence — the power that drove him to become the man that Shion had killed — manifested itself in the form of a shadow that consumed his body. When that happened, a literal Creature of Death was created. It was my creature. Every bit of me lives within it, but...”[/color]

[color=ed1c24]“But?”[/color]

[color=36454f]“There is hope.”

[color=ed1c24]“Hope for...?”[/color]

[color=36454f]“There’s hope to bring back Rio.”[/color] Venat revealed, no doubt earning the attention from Shion. [color=36454f]“This is why the Dynast Dome is required. The life force of the King Raithwall is enough to purify even my power.”[/color]

[color=ed1c24]“Why tell us this? With this knowledge, who’s to stop us from using it on [i]you[/i], and ridding your presence of Ivalice?”[/color] Jaakuna asked.

Venat chuckled, smiling at Jaakuna. [color=36454f]“You could do this. I’m sure the knowledge is within your grasp, but it’ll take the entirety of Raithwall’s life force to kill me.”[/color] He informed them. [color=36454f]“ You could do this, but you’ll be wasting your one and only chance to save the Blue Rose’s beloved.”[/color] 

The bastard. He knew exactly. 

Jaakuna wanted to say something in retort, but he’d only say what had already been said. So rather than sound like a broken record of sorts, his eyes went to Aloa and Shion. Certainly one of them had something to say to all of this.

The blue haired woman never took her eyes off Venat, and she wasn’t about to do so now. She knew where he was going with this, and as she raised her chin, her amber eyes were unreadable, her line of thinking impossible to guess. Aloa eyed her curiously, though she decided if Shion would not speak, then she would. 

“[color=plum]A generous offer,[/color]” The viera commented, a finger on her cheek. “[color=plum]What, exactly, do you have to gain from this? This generosity is unbecoming of someone like yourself. It begs the question of why you would go out of your way for your former protege.[/color]”

[color=36454f]”Much like you, I’d rather not be destroyed by the Creature. It is that simple.”[/color] Venat stated to Aloa’s question.

“[color=plum]The word ‘simple’ doesn’t apply to someone of your nature,[/color]” Aloa would remind him, though despite her statement, she would not press the issue any further. “[color=plum]How would we go about getting rid of your creature?[/color]”

He closed his eyes, smiling. When he would open them, one of his long fingers pointed to Jaakuna. [color=36454f]“That is how.”[/color]

The blond Archadian looked to his left and right only to realize that Venat was pointing at him. [color=ed1c24]“Who? Me?”[/color] Jaakuna didn’t quite understand.

Venat nodded. [color=36454f]“You are in possession of the Sigil, are you not?”[/color]

Jaakuna nodded.

[color=36454f]“Then that’s how you do it. With that power, you can purify anything, including me.”[/color]

Venat stood up, rolling up the cloth that had been covering his entire right arm. As he did, the three of them would bear witness to a bright light trailing down like tribal marks from Venat’s right shoulder down to his inner-elbow. He had then turned his gaze to Shion. [color=36454f]“This is what happened when we fought, Blue Rose. And you weren’t using your full power then, yet, since that fight…”[/color] Venat let the cloth fall back down. [color=36454f]“Bottom line is that she used that power she passed to you and it was able to weaken me - and she wasn’t meant for that power. So, just imagine what the [i]Transcendent[/i] could do to a mere shadow of the great Venat.”[/color]

Jaakuna thought on what Venat said, though he did turn his eyes to both Aloa and Shion. He wondered what they thought about this. He had the thought of calling it a bunch of Chocobo shit, but seeing the injury on his arm and a smirk that he caught from Shion, he had to admit there was a lot of merit in what he said. Still, all of this is putting a lot of weight on Jaakuna’s shoulders. He could handle it, of course, but it seemed no matter where they went or what obstacle they faced, all of the worst of it seemed to be placed in Jaakuna’s hands, making him the [i]only[/i] one to deal with it.

He let out a sigh, though it was one of fatigue. [color=ed1c24]“Ya know, I’m not exactly sure what you expect me to do.”[/color] He said to all three of them, sighing once more. [color=ed1c24]“I get that I have this awesome power and all, but surely I’m not the [i]only[/i] one who can do it. What about Nadeline? She’s got Ultima. Or maybe Grant. Levi did say he’d be stronger than me when he finally ascended. Why’s it always the same? ‘Oh Jaakuna, you have to do it. Oh Jaakuna, it’s all up to you. Oh Jaakuna, you’re the Chosen One.’”[/color] 

Aloa held her hand up, signaling Jaakuna to cease, if only for a moment. “[color=plum]I suppose we do have another option, if we so chose another path,[/color]” She stated airily. 

[color=ed1c24]“If it doesn’t involve me having to constantly save your asses, I’m all for it!” [/color]

The viera gave him a small smile, a rarity. However, it was not genuine, and Shion had to hold back her own chuckle. “[color=deepskyblue]So eager to agree before he hears the rest of it,[/color]” Shion noted.

“[color=plum]Technically, your Transcendent Light would be the most effective,[/color]” She said. “[color=plum]If you would shirk your responsibility to another, we could ask the Scion of Time to take a shot at it.[/color]”

[color=ed1c24]“What? No, absolutely not!”[/color]

Venat mused a surprising sound. [color=36454f]“She [i]could[/i] reverse time to the point that Rio’s darkness wasn’t overwhelming his hume body and destroy the Creature.”[/color] He stated, offering even further insight since he knew Jaakuna wasn’t necessarily all that bright despite him gaining some of Shion’s observational skills.

“[color=plum]It would work, though it would be strenuous on her,[/color]” Aloa added, looking at Jaakuna. “[color=plum]As you said, you are ‘all for it’, no?[/color]”

[color=ed1c24]“I--no, I didn’t mean--”[/color]

[color=36454f]“If I recall, your exact words were ‘if it doesn’t involve me constantly saving your asses, I’m all for it’.”[/color] Venat said, chuckling.

They all had walked him right into that corner. [color=ed1c24]“I hate you all.”[/color] He mumbled through a scowl.

“[color=deepskyblue]That should teach you not to agree without hearing the entirety,[/color]” Shion scolded him.

Jaakuna had turned his head towards Shion, almost saying exactly what had been on his mind in that very moment, but as he thought about it more, he decided against it. Instead, he turned away, facing Venat. [color=ed1c24]“So, how would I go about this exactly? Just fight him and hello Rio?”[/color]

[color=36454f]“I suppose you’ll have to find that out for yourself. I’ve more than done my part.”[/color] Venat stated, refusing to say anymore. [color=36454f]“You’d best hurry; the Creature isn’t going to wait [i]that[/i] long before the Reckoning enters stage two.”[/color] He gestured them away with a smile.

Shion gave him a short, curt nod, and then turned on her heel. Aloa’s smile faded, though she would follow Shion. For a moment she wondered what was on her mind. Venat certainly knew how to dangle Rio in front of her, though she expected her to have a more emotional response to his idea. The blue haired woman seemed more concerned about finding the rest of their entourage than anything. A distraction, or perhaps she had a plan?